During rollout of coronavirus disease vaccination, policymakers have faced critical trade-offs. Using a mathematical model of transmission, we found that timing of vaccination rollout would be expected to have a substantially greater effect on mortality rate than risk-based prioritization and uptake and that prioritizing first doses over second doses may be lifesaving.
Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; Texas; United States; coronavirus disease; epidemiology; mathematical model; mortality; pandemics; respiratory infections; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; vaccines; viruses; zoonoses.